In December 2021 the Scottish Government Redress Scheme for survivors of abuse in care was launched.
This includes a waiver scheme as an alternative to victims making a claim via the courts, and will be delivered by an independent body, Redress Scotland, which is currently open for applications.
The Redress Scheme is a vital response to the courageous efforts of survivors of abuse in care in Scotland who, for many years, campaigned for justice. We acknowledge the importance of survivors being listened to and believed, with compassion, dignity and respect. We are committed to playing our part in the collective response and, following detailed discussions with the Scottish Government, on 8 February 2023 Harmeny joined the scheme.
We offer our unreserved and sincere apologies to anyone who suffered abuse or harm while in our care. While nothing can undo the hurt and pain suffered, we hope that being part of the redress scheme confirms our commitment to making amends. You can view the details of our contribution and our acknowledgement letter here.
We will respond with compassion and openness to anyone making an application for redress and will continue to fully cooperate in line with the values and principles of the scheme and the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. (See below for more details).
The relevant time period for Harmeny for any potential claims is from 21 December 1995 (when Harmeny Education Trust was founded as a Scottish Charity) to 1 December 2004.
Save the Children, who ran the school from 1958 to 1995, are also a scheme contributor and you can view their statement here.
Safeguarding Children and Young People at Harmeny today
We are dedicated to providing the highest quality services and the safety, and wellbeing of children in our care are core to our values, practice and ethos today. We very much encourage former pupils to get in touch, and to visit the school if they wish, welcoming their feedback so that we can continuously improve.
Note on the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry
The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry was started in October 2015 and was originally due to run for four years (to October 2019) but will now report to Scottish Ministers as soon as reasonably practicable.
The Inquiry covers the period within living memory – from 1930 through to December 2014. Please Note: Harmeny School was established in 1958 and was run by Save the Children until 1995. Since then it has been run by Harmeny Education Trust, an independent Scottish charity. We have been advised by the Inquiry Team that we are only required to respond for the period from December 1995, when the Trust took over the running of the school.
The Inquiry was established to raise public awareness of the abuse of children in care, provide an opportunity for public acknowledgement of their suffering and serve as a forum for validation of their experience.
The aims of the Inquiry include:
- to investigate abuse of children in care during the above time frame
- look at the responsibilities of organisations caring for children
- to create a public record
- to make recommendations regarding any changes to practice, policy or legislation in order to protect children in care in the future.
The Inquiry is not just about investigating historical poor practice and to look at the learning but will also offer the opportunity to provide examples of good practice, in order to ensure children’s welfare now and in the future.
Harmeny Education Trust is one of over 100 establishments named so far by the Inquiry. We are unaware of why we have been named, are fully co-operating with the process and have submitted a formal two-part questionnaire to the Inquiry. Part of this involved carrying out an extensive review of the period from 21 December 1995 to December 2014. The responses within the formal questionnaire will determine whether or not we will be called to a formal hearing. We still do not know, at this time, exactly how long the process of the Inquiry will take to reach a final resolution.
Further questions?
If you have any questions about the above, please get in touch with Neil Squires, Chief Executive, by email at [email protected] or calling 0131 449 3938.
Former Pupils
We very much encourage former pupils to get in touch, and to visit the school if they wish. We welcome your feedback so that we can continuously improve. To arrange a call or visit please get in touch via email at [email protected] or call 0131 449 3938.
Information on how to apply and start the Redress Scheme application process can be found here:
- For more information on how to apply and to start the application process: www.mygov.scot/redress
- For statutory guidance, participation information and the contributor list: www.gov.scot/redress
- Support for survivors of abuse is available at: https://future-pathways.co.uk/
